JP2012149801A - Overall control board of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an overall control board of an air conditioner that correctly discriminates a communication failure from a matching failure, to facilitate determination of the cause of failure.SOLUTION: An overall control board P performs communication with a control board for a function component, in an air conditioner having a functional component including a compressor and a fan. The overall control board P includes a transmission part 1 which transmits data to the control board for functional component, a reception part 2 which receives data from the control board for functional component, and a control part 3 which controls the communication. The control part includes a protocol change part 4 for changing a communication protocol. When communication cannot be established with the control board for functional component, the communication protocol is changed by the protocol change part. A matching failure where the control board for functional component does not match a predetermined control board for functional component, is determined when communication is established with the control board for functional component using the new communication protocol.

Description

  The present invention relates to an overall control board for an air conditioner. More specifically, the present invention relates to a control board that controls the entire air conditioner and that communicates with a control board for functional parts such as a compressor and a fan.

  For example, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner is connected to the indoor unit control board and separately from the control board (overall control board or main control board) that controls the entire air conditioner. Are provided with a control board (functional parts control board) for functional parts such as a compressor and a fan mounted on the machine. The overall control board communicates with the control board for functional parts, transmits operation / stop signals of the compressor and fan, and controls the operation of control parts other than the compressor and fan in the outdoor unit.

  In the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the types of compressors and fans used for each horsepower are different, and an optimal combination of devices is predetermined for each horsepower. In addition, an optimal combination with the overall control board is determined in advance for a control board (control board for functional parts) related to a device such as a compressor.

  In such an outdoor unit, when the functional component control board is replaced due to a failure or a lifespan, if the wrong functional component control board is disposed (matching abnormality), there is a possibility that the device may operate unintentionally. Therefore, in order to prevent such a problem, it is checked whether or not a predetermined functional component control board is provided.

  Specifically, after the functional component control board is replaced, communication is performed between the overall control board and the functional component control board. This communication is performed by a predetermined communication protocol (a communication protocol provided in an appropriate functional component control board). FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing communication establishment by a conventional overall control board. In FIG. 3, an appropriate functional component control board is a functional component control board A, and this functional component control board A is provided. Assume that the communication protocol is protocol A. In this case, in the normal pattern exchanged with an appropriate board, communication is established as shown in FIG. 3A, so that it is determined that a predetermined functional component control board is provided. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the abnormal pattern in which the inappropriate functional component control board B having the communication protocol B is provided, the protocol A and the functional parts assumed by the overall control board are provided. Because the protocol B of the control board B does not match, communication cannot be established, and as a result, it is determined that the communication is abnormal (Prior Art A).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method for controlling communication between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, although it is not related to communication between a plurality of control boards in the outdoor unit. In the control method described in Patent Document 1, when a communication abnormality occurs between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, such as when a reply from the indoor unit does not come in response to transmission from the outdoor unit, a stage before stopping the operation of the device As described above, the communication speed is changed by the outdoor unit communication speed changing unit, and the number of communication abnormalities per unit time is measured for each of a plurality of preset communication speeds. And it is described that the communication speed where the frequency of the communication abnormality is lower than the specified value is searched, and the characteristic of the outdoor unit passband limiting unit is changed to the one matching the communication speed at the same time as changing to the highest communication speed among them. (Prior art B).

JP 2006-170559 A

  However, in the related art A, it is determined that communication is abnormal for all cases where communication using the communication protocol assumed by the overall control board is not established. However, the communication abnormality includes an abnormality in which such communication is not established and an original communication abnormality in which there is a problem in the communication state due to disconnection or disconnection of the connection terminal. Therefore, even if a communication abnormality is determined, it is not possible to identify the cause of whether it is due to disconnection or abnormalities in the control board for functional parts (abnormality including matching abnormality), so analysis is necessary. There is. Such analysis work is not only time consuming but also cumbersome. If the cause is unknown even by analysis, the entire control board and the functional component control board may have to be replaced, which is costly.

  On the other hand, in the case of the prior art B, one control board can be backward compatible to enable communication with the other control board, but the operation is performed using the original correct control board (control board before backward compatibility). I can't. Also, it is necessary to put software for backward compatibility on one control board.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is an entire air conditioner that can correctly determine whether a communication abnormality or a matching abnormality and can easily identify the cause of the abnormality. The object is to provide a control board.

(1) The overall control board of the air conditioner of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as “overall control board”) is the same as the control board for the functional parts in the air conditioner having functional parts including a compressor and a fan. An overall control board of an air conditioner that communicates between
A transmitter capable of transmitting data to the functional component control board;
A receiver capable of receiving data from the functional component control board;
A control unit that controls the communication, and
The control unit has a protocol changing unit that can change the communication protocol, and when communication with the functional component control board is not established with a predetermined communication protocol, the protocol changing unit changes the communication protocol. When the communication with the functional component control board is established with the changed communication protocol, the functional component control board is determined to be a matching abnormality that is not a predetermined functional component control board. It is characterized by being.

  In the overall control board of the present invention, the control unit has a protocol change unit that can change the communication protocol. When communication with the functional component control board is not established with a predetermined communication protocol (communication protocol provided by the correct functional component control board), the communication protocol is changed by the protocol changing unit, and the changed communication is performed. Try to communicate with the protocol. Then, when communication is established with the functional component control board using the changed communication protocol, it is determined that the functional component control board has a matching abnormality that is not a predetermined functional component control board. As a result, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality that has conventionally been simply a communication abnormality is a matching abnormality or an original communication abnormality (abnormal communication state due to disconnection or disconnection of connection terminal). Accordingly, it is possible to quickly perform an appropriate treatment.

(2) In the overall control board of (1), there are a plurality of changeable communication protocols, and it is preferable that the control unit is configured to try to establish communication by sequentially changing communication protocols. In this case, it is possible to increase the possibility of establishing communication with the functional component control board by sequentially attempting communication for a plurality of communication protocols.

(3) In the overall control board of (1) or (2), the change in the communication protocol may include a change in communication speed, parity bit, character length, and format. As long as there is no communication abnormality such as disconnection of the communication line by changing the communication speed, parity bit, character length and format, the air conditioner overall control board and the functional part control board Communication between the two can be established. As a result, when a matching abnormality actually occurs, the matching abnormality can be determined almost certainly.

(4) It is preferable that the overall control board of (1) to (3) further includes a notification unit that notifies that the control unit determines that the matching is abnormal. In this case, it is possible to notify a service person of the device by the notification unit that the matching is abnormal, and the service person easily knows that the functional component control board is not of a predetermined type and needs to be replaced. be able to.

(5) In the overall control board of (4), the notification unit may be formed of a light emitting diode. In this case, a matching abnormality can be notified by blinking of the light emitting diode.

  According to the overall control board of the present invention, it is possible to correctly determine whether there is a communication abnormality or a matching abnormality, and it is possible to easily identify the cause of the abnormality.

It is a block diagram of one embodiment of an overall control board of the present invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of communication establishment by the whole control board of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the communication establishment by the conventional whole control board.

Embodiments of the overall control board of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an overall control board P according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication establishment by the overall control board P. The overall control board P according to the present embodiment is arranged inside an outdoor unit of an air conditioner (not shown) and controls the entire air conditioner and can communicate with a control unit (not shown) of the indoor unit. It is. The overall control board P can also communicate with a control board for functional parts such as a compressor and an outdoor fan disposed in the outdoor unit. The overall control board P includes a transmission unit 1, a reception unit 2, a CPU 3 as a control unit, a ROM 5, a RAM 6, and a notification unit 7.

  The transmission unit 1 transmits various data (signals) to a control unit for an indoor unit and a control board for functional parts such as a compressor and an outdoor fan. The receiving unit 3 receives data (signals) from the control unit of the indoor unit and the control board for functional parts.

  The CPU 3 executes a computer program for controlling the operation of the air conditioner stored in the ROM 5 and controls communication in the transmission unit 1 and the reception unit 2.

  The ROM 5 is configured by a mask ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or the like, and stores a computer program executed by the CPU 3, data used for the same, and the like.

  The RAM 6 is configured by SRAM, DRAM, and the like, and is used for reading a computer program stored in the ROM 5. Further, when these computer programs are executed, they are used as a work area of the CPU 3.

  The CPU 3 includes a protocol changing unit 4 that can change a communication protocol when a signal is transmitted from the overall control board P to the functional component control board. When the functional component control board is replaced due to a failure or a lifespan, in order to confirm that the control board is a predetermined correct control board, the overall control board P and the functional part control board as described above are connected. The communication protocol is changed by the protocol changing unit 4 when communication with the functional component control board is not established with a predetermined communication protocol. When communication with the functional component control board is established using the changed communication protocol, the control unit 3 determines that the functional component control board is not a predetermined control board and has a matching abnormality.

  That is, in the present embodiment, when communication using the communication protocol assumed by the overall control board P (communication protocol provided for a predetermined functional component control board) cannot be established, it is immediately determined that “communication abnormality” has occurred. Instead, the protocol change unit 4 changes the communication protocol, and attempts to communicate with the functional component control board using the changed communication protocol. Then, when communication is established with the changed communication protocol, it is determined that the functional component control board is not a predetermined functional component control board and has a matching abnormality. As a result, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality that has conventionally been regarded as a communication abnormality is a matching abnormality or an original communication abnormality, and it is possible to quickly take appropriate measures against the abnormality.

  Examples of changes in the communication protocol include changes in communication speed (baud rate), parity bit, character length, and format. For example, the communication speed may be changed between 2400 bps, 4800 bps, and 9600 bps, the parity bit may be changed between an even number and an odd number, and the character length may be 7 bits. It is conceivable to change between 8 bits. As long as there is no communication abnormality such as disconnection of the communication line by changing the communication speed, parity bit, character length and format, the air conditioner overall control board and the functional part control board Communication between the two can be established. As a result, when a matching abnormality actually occurs, the matching abnormality can be determined almost certainly.

  The protocol change unit 4 sequentially changes the communication protocols so that communication is performed in all combinations of the plurality of changeable communication protocols. For example, when there are four types of changeable communication protocols and there are two versions for each type, the number of patterns is 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 16. However, since one of these patterns has already been tried for communication as a predetermined communication protocol, the remaining 15 patterns are tried for communication sequentially.

  When communication is established with the changed communication protocol, the control unit 3 determines that the matching is abnormal, and the notification unit 7 notifies the matching abnormality. As a notification mode, a sound such as a buzzer or a chime or a visual one such as a lamp or LED can be appropriately employed. The visual notification includes notification by an error code, notification by a message, and the like in addition to simple lighting of the lamp and the LED.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication establishment by the overall control board of the present invention.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, instead of a predetermined appropriate control board (control board with communication protocol A) as a compressor control board, a compressor control board C with communication protocol C is incorrectly arranged. It is assumed that it is installed.

  First, in step S1, the CPU 3 of the overall control board P transmits confirmation data from the transmission unit 1 to the compressor control board C using the assumed communication protocol A. Since the communication protocol of the compressor control board C is the communication protocol C, a response signal cannot be returned to the overall control board P in response to the confirmation data.

  If the CPU 3 determines that the receiving unit 2 of the overall control board P does not receive the response signal from the compressor control board C even after a predetermined time (for example, 15 seconds (same as the retry time)), then the step In S2, the protocol changing unit 4 of the CPU 3 changes the communication protocol to the communication protocol B, and the CPU 3 transmits the confirmation data from the transmitting unit 1 to the compressor control board C using the changed communication protocol B. . Also in this case, since the communication protocol of the compressor control board C is the communication protocol C, a response signal cannot be returned to the overall control board P for the confirmation data.

  If the CPU 3 determines that the receiving unit 2 of the overall control board P does not receive a response signal from the compressor control board C even after a predetermined time (for example, 15 seconds) has elapsed, then, in step S3, the protocol change of the CPU 3 is performed. The unit 4 changes the communication protocol to the communication protocol C, and the CPU 3 transmits the confirmation data from the transmission unit 1 to the compressor control board C using the changed communication protocol C. In this case, since the communication protocols match, the compressor control board C recognizes the communication signal from the overall control board P and transmits a response signal to the overall control board P in step S4.

The response signal from the compressor control board C is received by the receiving unit 2 of the overall control board P, and the CPU 3 determines that the matching is abnormal because communication using the changed communication protocol is established.
The service person can know the determination of the matching abnormality by the notification unit 7 of the overall control board P, and can replace the arranged compressor control board C with an appropriate compressor control board.

[Other variations]
The overall control board of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the overall control board is disposed in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, but may be disposed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner or disposed in another place. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, communication speed (baud rate), parity bit, character length, and format are listed as examples of changeable communication protocols. For example, logical values of start and stop bits, etc. Can be changed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the compressor and the outdoor fan are exemplified as the functional parts provided with the control board separately from the overall control board, but other functional parts such as an indoor fan, a sensor, a solenoid valve, and an electric valve are used. Also, a separate control board can be provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, one control board is used for the compressor and the outdoor fan. However, a control board may be provided for each of the compressor and the outdoor fan.

  In the above-described embodiment, the matching abnormality is notified by the notification unit of the overall control board. However, the matching abnormality can be displayed by, for example, an error code on the indoor remote controller. In the case where maintenance is performed by connecting a service terminal device (a dedicated personal computer (PC) with dedicated software installed or a dedicated terminal device) to the overall control board, the service terminal device Can also be displayed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transmission part 2 Reception part 3 CPU (control part)
4 Protocol change part 5 ROM
6 RAM
7 Notification unit P Overall control board

Claims (5)

In an air conditioner having functional parts including a compressor and a fan, an overall control board (P) of the air conditioner that communicates with the control board for the functional parts,
A transmission unit (1) capable of transmitting data to the functional component control board;
A receiver (2) capable of receiving data from the functional component control board;
A control unit (3) for controlling the communication,
The control unit (3) has a protocol change unit (4) that can change the communication protocol, and when the communication with the functional component control board is not established with a predetermined communication protocol, the protocol change is performed. When the communication protocol is changed by the unit (4) and communication is established with the functional component control board with the changed communication protocol, the functional component control board is not a predetermined functional component control board. An overall control board (P) for an air conditioner, characterized in that it is configured to determine that it is abnormal.   2. The air conditioner overall control board (P) according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of changeable communication protocols, and the control unit (3) is configured to try to establish communication using the sequentially changed communication protocols. ).   The overall control board (P) of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the change of the communication protocol includes a change of a communication speed, a parity bit, a character length, and a format.   The overall control board (P) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a notification unit (7) that notifies that the control unit (3) has determined that the matching is abnormal.   The overall control board (P) for an air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit (7) comprises a light emitting diode.

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